Letters - March 31, 2011

Perfect time

Good silver tarnishes with age but becomes bright again with a polishing. School buildings do not work that way!

Our school has been the setting for the education of hundreds of students with bright, shiny futures, preparing them to go out and conquer the world! Those students and their success have been the source of decades of pride for the communities of Farmington and Oakesdale.

We continue to have wonderful young students accomplishing great things. Our buildings, however, have seen better days. We have patched, painted, and repaired until it is no longer the best option.

Our state is offering us a wonderful opportunity in the form of a matching funds grant. What this means for us as communities is the state will pay half of the cost of the renovation! Combined with the fact that interest rates are low and contractors are searching for jobs, it makes this the perfect time to seize the chance to modernize our buildings, making them safe and welcoming for generations of students to come. Vote Yes on Oakesdale School District Renovation Bond.

Conny Crow,

Oakesdale

Colton school remodel

It looks to me that we are going to get the same treatment that Lewiston people got: “Pester, Pester, Pester.”

I don’t mind the most needed things that have to be done: electrical, heating, plumbing. But to remodel the whole outside of the building? I don’t think looks will help the type of education. You better think of all the people that are on fixed incomes.

Another way to save money would be to quit running the buses to all the sports events all over the state. By the last newsletter, it looks to me the education agenda is doing just fine.

Ken Oenning,

Uniontown

Healthy schools

I am writing as a parent and a community member to urge voters in Oakesdale and Farmington to vote “Yes” on the upcoming bond to remodel the school.

I moved to Oakesdale four years ago, and I have two daughters in the school that serves Farmington and Oakesdale. My experience of the school is that the teachers and support staff are excellent. However, the school facilities are very poor.

In my opinion, the school buildings are at a point now where half -measures will never get the job done. The bad facilities are affecting the quality of my daughters’ education. And that matters to me.

Our schools are the lifeblood of our communities. We need healthy schools to have healthy towns. We need good facilities to have healthy schools. Let’s vote yes!

Erik Buhl,

Oakesdale

Feldman era

I am so happy the new elections office is finally open. Over and over again we have read articles in the Gazette that the building previously housed Harrison Electric and Gregg’s Electric. I’m inclined to think the reporters have not lived in Colfax too many years.

For the record, that building at Main and Upton was bought March 1, 1965, by Ray and Gary Feldman, and housed Feldman Brothers Tire Sales and Service from that date until Jan. 1, 1991, when the business closed. Later in 1991 the building was sold to Mark and Mike Harrison.

Gary Feldman and employees worked hard in that building for 26 years. I have never seen this noted in the many reports of updates of the remodel.

Okay, I’ll get over it now.

Dorothy Feldman,

Colfax

Rural appreciation

Whitman County Road Department keeps all rural residents connected to the world by punching through the many snow drifts during the winter or removing earth slides in the spring. Not to forget grading and gravelling the roads the remainder of the year. We truly appreciate their hard work.

Mahlon and Monika Kriebel,

Garfield